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Assisted Living Games

Entertainment and social interaction are crucial elements in helping residents thrive in an assisted living environment. One way to encourage the mental, physical and social health of assisted living residents is to provide the opportunity for involving, challenging games. However, it's important to keep in mind that some games are more suitable and pleasurable for the elderly than others. When planning games for the elderly, it is important to combine what the participants enjoy with what their actual activity should be.

Bingo
- Bingo is a classic favorite for seniors. It is a simple game to play and can include a large number of players. Bingo is a fun and active game, providing participants with the thrill of the hunt. It also helps seniors use their skills and senses. A study from the Centre for Visual Cognition at Southampton University reported that bingo fights some of the mental effects of aging by exercising "the speed and precision of short-term memory." The study also reported seniors who play bingo are able to concentrate better. It is a good idea, when hosting an assisted living bingo game to purchase or make bingo cards with larger squares, numbers and letters.
Traditional Board Games
- Senior Activities Director, author and expert Susan Berg believes board games are a useful tool in helping seniors maintain cognitive function. She recommends finding games for seniors that are not so complicated so as to frustrate them. Traditional board games they have enjoyed in the past are an excellent choice for assisted living residents, as well as new games that are easy to understand. Games Berg recommends include Checkers, Sorry!, Parcheesi, Chutes and Ladders and Scrabble. It is important to pick a game that the individual resident still has the ability to enjoy.
Wii For Seniors
- There's a new game in town when it comes to activities for seniors. The Wii, the newest and most advanced Nintendo game console, is finding its place in assisted living homes all across the country. The new design of the console, particularly in the Wii Fit package, allows for gentle physical activity that is well suited to geriatric needs and abilities. According to CNN Health, using the Wii to play activities such as bowling and balance games regularly results in increased fitness of seniors who use it. The Wii Fit is currently being examined as a possible treatment for balance problems in Parkinson's Disease patients. Many representatives of assisted living homes also believe the Wii helps maintain the resident's mental acuity as well as the physical benefits.

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